Key Thought

The truest sense of grace is joy for others who receive it. This sense of joy runs counter to our human self-interest and human standards of fairness. To rejoice with those who rejoice means just that -- our genuine joy is when someone else enjoys the blessings of the Lord. It is not comparative and it is not "fair-itive."
Just as the angels rejoice more when one sinner comes to repentance than over the ninety-nine who are already saved, so also there is a heavenly joy when another person finds God's undeserved favor and grace.
How can this be? We realize that we were the workers who were paid far more than we deserved! You see, no matter how good we (mistakenly) judge ourselves to be as disciples when compared with the "Johnny come lately" crew, we are always much closer to them in character and holiness than we are to God! Without grace, our labor is in vain!

Today's Prayer

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Holy and tender Father, help me to rejoice with those who come to you, no matter their past or the world's view of their worth. I know that "red, brown, yellow, black, and white, they are precious in your sight." In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

"The kingdom of heaven is like a man that owned some land. The man grew grapes on his land. One morning, the man went out very early to hire some other people to work in his field. The man agreed to pay the workers one silver coin for working that day. Then the man sent the people into the field to work. "At about nine o'clock the man went to the market place and saw some other people standing there. These people were doing nothing. So the man said to them, 'If you go and work in my field, I will pay you what your work is worth.' So the people went to work in the field. "The man went out again about twelve o'clock and again at three o'clock. Both times the man hired some other people to work in his field. At about five o'clock the man went to the market place again. He saw some other people standing there. The man asked them, 'Why did you stand here all day doing nothing?' "The people said, 'No person gave us a job.' "The man said to them, 'Then you can go and work in my field.' "At the end of the day, the owner of the field said to the boss of all the workers, 'Call the workers and pay all of them. Start by paying the last people I hired. Then pay all of them, ending with the workers I hired first.' "The workers that were hired at five o'clock came to get their pay. Each worker got one silver coin. Then those workers that were hired first came to get their pay. Those workers thought they would be paid more than the other workers. But each one of those workers also received one silver coin. When they got their silver coin, these workers complained to the man that owned the land. The workers said, 'Those people were hired last and worked only one hour. But you paid them the same as us. And we worked hard all day in the hot sun.' "But the man that owned the field said to one of those workers, 'Friend, I am being fair with you. You agreed to work for one silver coin. Right? So take your pay and go. I want to give the man that was hired last the same pay that I gave you.I can do what I want with my own money. Are you jealous because I am good {to those people}?' "So the people that have the last place now will have the first place in the future. And the people that have the first place now will have the last place in the future."

— Matthew 20:1-16 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.